Young people break with prejudice

As a prejudice breaker, you practice tolerance, dialogue, and cultural exchange.

Are you also tired of your neighborhood being called a ghetto and being called names because you either have a minority background or live in a disadvantaged neighborhood? Or do you live in a disadvantaged neighborhood or face prejudice, but would like to help create a Denmark where there is room for all young people—regardless of their zip code, skin color, or political views?

We are looking for young people aged 16-19 who want to practice meeting and talking with "the others."

Would you like to be part of the project?

Why the Prejudice Breakers?

Fordomsbryderne (Prejudice Breakers) is a pilot project that aims to build bridges between young people in and outside disadvantaged neighborhoods, enabling them to learn, educate themselves, and meet across social divides. The project was launched in 2024.

Every second Dane believes that immigration poses a serious threat to Danish culture (Videnscenter for Integration 2021), and even more are concerned that the integration of immigrants is failing (TrygFonden 2021). Since 2010, successive governments have focused particularly on residential areas where the proportion of immigrants and descendants from non-Western countries is higher than 50% – the so-called parallel societies – but only 6% of non-Western immigrants in Denmark live in these areas. Studies show that even though youth crime is declining and progress is being made in both education and employment, 75% of the population believes that integration is going significantly worse than it actually is.

Changing these numbers and the perceptions behind them requires dialogue. And it is not difficult to see the great potential for change and democratic engagement that exists among young people. According to DUF's Democracy Analysis (2021), as many as 76% of young people responded that they have an opinion on the direction Denmark and the world should take. However, half of young people feel that they neither have the time nor the energy to get involved.

The aim of the project is to develop young people's engagement and to build bridges between young people living in and outside disadvantaged neighborhoods, so that they can become better at disagreeing and being different, and gain the tools to take responsibility for dialogue and for combating demonization and prejudice.

Building bridges with and between young people

The framework for Fordomsbryderne is that opposites must meet. This is a huge challenge and can be a painful process, but it is the foundation for a vital and sustainable democracy. Young people are the next generation of democrats, and it is crucial that they are active participants and citizens.

Demonization and prejudice must be combated through education and events that strengthen community and dialogue. In this project, young people are trained to be role models for others in their local area and are involved in developing and holding various cross-cultural activities.

Who's coming?

80-100 young people aged 16-19
20-40 families outside disadvantaged residential areas
20-40 families from disadvantaged neighborhoods

The bridge builders (Brobyggerne) have developed bridge-building methods through our Bridge Builder Training and Bridge Builder Week projects, which focus on encounters with "the others" and place personal responsibility at the center of combating and preventing prejudice, echo chambers, conflicts, etc. In the Prejudice Breakers project, participants are trained in tolerance, dialogical tools, and how to use language as a key rather than a hammer.

The training days also create a framework in which young people get to know each other and gain a shared understanding of the challenges that arise when meeting other people. Against this backdrop, the young people themselves develop and initiate activities with support and guidance from professional supervisors.

Activities by and for young people

The purpose of the activities is to create an open cultural exchange among young people through participation and dialogue. The young people will be involved in planning activities, and the possibility of them swapping schools and leisure activities for short periods will be explored, enabling them to get to know each other's families and friends with the aim of promoting tolerance of diversity and disagreement.

Supervision of young people

In order for young people to develop and grow as role models, it is important that they have a permanent person with whom they can discuss challenges and wishes. They need to be prepared for difficult conversations and meetings with others. A team of volunteer supervisors will guide, advise, and support the young people. The supervisors will also function as mentors that participants can consult throughout the project.

Young people in the Dialogue Corps

The young people are also invited to become part of a Dialogue Corps, which travels around the country as young role models to share their experiences and create conversations with room for disagreement about religion, culture, and values. The Dialogue Corps are trained in communication and work with stories based on their experiences and new relationships from the project's activities.

Collaboration partners

The Fordomsbryderne project (Unge på Tværs) is supported by the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation and the Hoffmann and Husman Foundation.

Bridge Builders

The Bridge Builders - Center for Dialogue Coffee was created to strengthen dialogue, tolerance and understanding between people with different opinions, values and ways of life.

We want to promote a society that handles its conflicts and disagreements with words and arguments - not violence and threats.

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Contact us

BROBYGGERNE
Center for Dialogue Coffee
Købmagergade 43, 1st floor
DK-1150 Copenhagen
Company Registration No. 37747610

kontakt@brobyggerne.dk
+45 22 34 68 92